One of the most amazing features of the Quran is how the ayat (usually translated as verses) help you reflect on current life events. The hurricane sandy is expected to rip through parts of the east coast and this made me think about a Surah (usually translated as chapter) that begins with a oath about the winds. We are waiting for it, Make dua Insha Allah

Oaths in Quran.

The oaths in the Quran are used to set the tone for a coming argument. After the Oath, comes a response. Oaths in Quran are very powerful tools and they highlight just how incredible this Quran is.

The oath, we will look at comes at the beginning of Surah Al-Mursalat..

Background:

This is one of the surahs in the Quran where there is a lot of repetition like surah rahman. In Surah mursilat, the repetition is

وَيۡلٌ۬ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

Woe, on that Day, to those who denied the truth!

These repetitions are profound as well but that is not the purpose of our discussion

You see, the prophet(Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) faced skepticism from the Quraish, particularly concerning Judgement and the last day.. They doubted the great catastrophies, this Quran was talking about… The mountains crumbling, the stars losing their light, the sea boiling over, the earth being shaken, … Really disastrous and chaotic things… They didn’t believe these things were going to happen… They would ask the prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

They say, ‘If what you say is true, when will this promise be fulfilled?’ (Surah mulk 67 :25)

Their argument were that these events stated by the quran were too enormous, too cataclysmic to be possible.. In response to that, Allah take an oath in these ayat in surah mursalat using winds…

Surah Mursalat

وَٱلۡمُرۡسَلَـٰتِ عُرۡفً۬ا (١) فَٱلۡعَـٰصِفَـٰتِ عَصۡفً۬ا (٢) وَٱلنَّـٰشِرَٲتِ نَشۡرً۬ا (٣) فَٱلۡفَـٰرِقَـٰتِ فَرۡقً۬ا (٤) فَٱلۡمُلۡقِيَـٰتِ ذِكۡرًا (٥) عُذۡرًا أَوۡ نُذۡرًا (٦) إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَٲقِعٌ۬ (٧

1 By the [winds] sent forth in swift succession,
2 violently storming,
3 scattering far and wide,
4 Then separate them, one from another,
5 delivering a reminder,
6 as a proof or a warning:
7what you are promised will come to pass.

Ayah 1:

وَٱلۡمُرۡسَلَـٰتِ عُرۡفً۬ا (١

Wa Al-Mursalāti `Urfāan

By the [winds] sent forth in swift succession

Al mursalat – This means that which has been released… It was used for horses

The word Urf in arabic refers to the hair at the back of a horse. And if you don’t have ropes for a horse, the only thing you can use to slow it down is the hair at the back of the horse

Allah in the ayah gives the image of winds as though there were wild horses which has be released because its hair has been let go…

What happens to wild horse when the hair is let go, It goes crazy, it doesn’t care where it is going….

So Allah parallels winds with wild horses..

Here, Allah is saying to the Quraish(and to us) that winds are not something that blow randomly, the soft breeze you feel on your face is because Allah has held the reins of the wind. Alhamdulilah

It is very possible for Allah to release the reins of the winds, what happens then? It is going to turn into this wild horse that is going to crush through every thing in its path….

So Allah talks about the wind being unleashed in beautiful picturesque words again….

Ayah 2

ii. فَٱلۡعَـٰصِفَـٰتِ عَصۡفً۬ا (٢

Fāl`āşifāti `Aşfāan

violently storming

āşifat- means to move in an inconsiderate and inconsistent fashion…. It does not care what it in its way, it just keeps moving….

So we have wind being released and moving in an inconsiderate fashion…

In these two ayahs, Allah has described winds as a source of destruction… Look at what happens after a hurricane, tornado or a typhoon. A hurricane passes through a place in less than a minute… look at the amount of destruction that takes places…. Imagine this, Now Allah said in the Quran that the wind was unleashed on the people of ‘ad for 7 consecutive nights and 8 consecutive days…

Ad was destroyed by a furious wind that God let loose against them for seven consecutive nights, eight consecutive days, so that you could have seen its people lying dead like hollow palm-trunks. (Surah 69: 6-7)

See the destruction that takes place in less than a minute in hurricanes; imagine what happens for 7 consecutive nights and 8 consecutive days of violent winds… SubhanAllah…

In just two ayahs, Allah has told the Quraish that all he needs to do is unleash the winds, there needs to be no special arrangement…

The Oath continues

Ayah 3

وَٱلنَّـٰشِرَٲتِ نَشۡرً۬ا (٣

Wa An-Nāshirāti Nashrāan

scattering far and wide,

Now Allah talks about the positive uses of the wind..

Nāshirā – Nashira basically means to spread…

What the scholars have concluded from this, that the winds carry and spread the clouds and spread them far and wide… These clouds carry rain; Which is very important for life on this earth. No rain, no life… Drought means death…

Not only do they carry the clouds, Now we know that winds spread pollen grains around, which are a source of vegetation.

So the same wind that is a source of destruction in the first two ayahs are now the source of life… SubhanAllah..

Ayah 4

فَٱلۡفَـٰرِقَـٰتِ فَرۡقً۬ا (٤
Then separate them, one from another (Making precise divisions)

Ever heard of ‘the random acts of nature’…. Well , Allah says there is no such thing; These winds make very precise divisions….

These winds spread the clouds to where it going to rain, and not where would remain dry… precise divisions are spread across the earth..

So we have two things highlighted so far….

i. The wind as a source of destruction
ii. The wind as a source of life

Ayah 5

فَٱلۡمُلۡقِيَـٰتِ ذِكۡرًا (٥

delivering a reminder,

Now Allah tells us that these winds are a reminder if you reflect upon them…… Every time it rain, it is a reminder of the lordship of Allah… Every time you drink a glass of water, it is a reminder… If Allah does not send the rain from the sky by means of the winds, where are we going to do?

It is a powerful reminder

The winds are a reminder of resurrection, the wind drive the clouds to the dead land and gives life to it… Dead becomes living… Every time the rain gives life to the earth, we should be reminded that we also will be resurrected after death…

All of these reminders come by just reflecting on the wind… SubhanAllah

By reflecting on the wind as a source of destruction and mercy, we are also reminded of Allah’s Justice and that he has set up a profound system of punishment and reward in the hereafter. Things that will lead to His wrath and other things that will lead to His mercy.

Ayah 6

عُذْراً أَوْ نُذْرا

`Udhrāan ‘Aw Nudhrāan

as a proof or a warning:

These winds are proof and a warning

Now the response

Ayah 7

إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ لَوَٲقِعٌ۬

‘Innamā Tū`adūna Lawāqi`un

what you are promised will come to pass.

So just like the winds are a sign of Allah’s Mercy and Wrath; When the promise of the last day is fulfilled, You will come to experience the wrath of Allah and his mercy…. depending on your actions.. The promise of Judgement which they denied will come to pass… SubhanAllah

You see, the ancient Arab is processing this ayat as they are coming… Imagine the impact, it had on them… SubhanAllah…

Next time you feel the wind on your face. Remember the mercy of Allah and His Wrath….

Assalam Aleikum
https://perfectedayat./2012/10/28/hurricane-sandy-reflecting-on-the-winds/

So, in this case, the hurricane serves as a warning?

MashaAllah. I'm particularly moved by your statement concerning the arabs and how they wondered if yhose things could come to pass and still they believed.

We didnt meet the prophet,did not see the things they saw but we can see the hurricanes or at least hear about them and we believe.

No wonder believing alone is such a strong thing that it can be enough,well,to some extent.

maclatunji: So, in this case, the hurricane serves as a warning?

It serves as a reminder as well as a warning, every natural disaster reminds us of how weak we are and acts as a warning for the day.

There is a tree in front of my house right now and it is not standing ...

deols: I'd be derailing the thread but necessarily. I wld modify my comment after tbaba's response.IA

@tbaba,there's a thread for Nl interviews(it is on d home page). Some people have asked that you be interviewed. You can show your interest/uninterest on the thread. Thanks

I am not sure about that, I am a pretty private person.

The spreaading of the grains and how it is not by chance remindse of that verse,
..not a leaf falls but he knows it..

And then the bringing back to life when it has been dead is one of the verses that keep my faith.

deols: ..its understandable but you might still wanna check it out. the questions arent that private.I think answering them would make your fans happy

Hey! Stop derailing.

@tbaba,there are two options:

1. You grant deols a private interview or

2. You do the Nairaland interview and answer the questions you feel comfortable with.

I don't want threads derailed because of this issue.

Thank you.

.

deols: Thats unnecessary pls. I already made it clear I wld modify d posts and u cld hide them.

I am not interestd in a private interview. The others av sn are captivatn and is all I requested. Btw,I saw his name was mentioned by some people and is d reason am here.

No problem... relax. Once again, relax.

and wat is that about. smh

Incisive. Truth are the words of Allah.

Subuhanallah

tbaba1234:

It serves as a reminder as well as a warning, every natural disaster reminds us of how weak we are and acts as a warning for the day.

There is a tree in front of my house right now and it is not standing ...

but people died. How can it be a warning when we have deaths....... can i say its just like in the Old Testaments/Quran (i.e Sodom). pls shed light on this

i dont understand the write up.

i can, however, expound on the christian viewpoint in the appropriate section.

tpia@:
i dont understand the write up.

i can, however, expound on the christian viewpoint in the appropriate section.

you may want to post a link here

i'd have to start a thread for it- not sure that's advisable.

tpia@:
i'd have to start a thread for it- not sure that's advisable.

what are you afraid of? Criticism?

you must not be familiar with my moniker, or nl


the thread would stand a high chance of being swamped and derailed by idle fellows in religion section, hence i dont think i want to go into all that right now.

i searched for relevant threads about the topic and found most of them [and they werent even many], were jumped on by all sorts of characters.


not into indulging them at the moment.

ghazzal:

but people died. How can it be a warning when we have deaths....... can i say its just like in the Old Testaments/Quran (i.e Sodom). pls shed light on this

Death itself is not an unusual thing. Hurricane or not,people die and would die. The hurricane is just a means to it.

Even when people die with a heart attack or just a heart failure,it is because God wanted it for at least he could have prevented it. And even when such happens we see signs and reasons to further believe or fear God or become better human beings.

I was there at my grandpas last moments in 2007. Whenever I remember those times,my faith strenghtens.in it were signs/warnings for me and he didnt die in a hurricane.

^ I think the sister addressed your question...

Death itself is a sign/warning for those who are alive....

can i say that: because man is created to live and die, there is no big deal in dying?

also according to below tread,
https://www.nairaland.com/1089140/anger-management-quranic-perspective#12769636



can we also refer to our loved ones as a mataau? since people will die and its always painful especially when they are killed(could be accidental)?

ghazzal: can i say that: because man is created to live and die, there is no big deal in dying?
also according to below tread,
https://www.nairaland.com/1089140/anger-management-quranic-perspective#12769636

can we also refer to our loved ones as a mataau? since people will die and its always painful especially when they are killed(could be accidental)?

This is the attitude of the muslim:

Everything in this world belongs to Allah, even our selves, our parents and our children... We realise that nothing truly belongs to us.

What does this mean? All the things you have in life are gifts, your family, your eyesight, your hearing, your wealth... Everything is a gift. So when Allah take away a gift, we can feel sorrow but we do not despair or become depressed because we realise that it was not ours to begin with.

The owner just took it back...

Since every single thing is a gift, you are thankful and grateful for the things you have. And you do not despair over the things, that are taken away because it is not yours anyways.

If you internalize this, you will always be grateful and thankful no matter what happens in your life.

sounds interesting but......

does it mean muslims should not value human life as it is expected not to equate human life to property (worldly gain).

is there any proof in islam that makes human life "sacred" as compared to human assets. How is this related to some muslims killing others around the world?

an explicit answer with proof will be appreciated

tbaba1234:

It serves as a reminder as well as a warning, every natural disaster reminds us of how weak we are and acts as a warning for the day.

There is a tree in front of my house right now and it is not standing ...

And only if people would just reflect for a second that everything you have can be taken away within the twinkle of an eye...

Bros, Alhamdulilah you are safe, na only tree fall(hope its not a fruit bearing one cos dat one fit pain small ).

May Allah continue to protect us all amin.

ghazzal: sounds interesting but......

does it mean muslims should not value human life as it is expected not to equate human life to property (worldly gain).

is there any proof in islam that makes human life "sacred" as compared to human assets. How is this related to some muslims killing others around the world?

an explicit answer with proof will be appreciated

The scholars of Islam have underscored five major objectives of the Islamic law based on the noble Quran and the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad.

These objectives are the protection and promotion of the following:

1.Religion
2. Life
3. Progeny or family
4. Intellect or mind
5. Property or wealth

your primary purpose of existence is the worship of Allah; from that comes everything including the sanctity of human life. Allah tells us Himself it is sacred(roughly translated):

Do not take life, which God has made sacred, except by right: if anyone is killed wrongfully, We have given authority to the defender of his rights, but he should not be excessive in taking life, for he is already aided [by God]. (Surah 17:33)

Here, Allah declares the sanctity of Human life, and only permits it when a crime such as murder is committed even then the option is given to the family on whether to carry out the punishment. This is in the case of murder...

So how sacred is human life? Allah says in the Quran (roughly translated):

On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person– unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land– it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Surah 5:32)

Allah relays to us a decree to the previous muslim nation that applies to us. Anyone who kills a person unjustly is as if he has killed the whole of humanity and anyone who saves a life has saved not only that life but the whole of humanity.

This is the weight of taking a person's life unjustly... And this is not only for muslims:

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever kills a mu‘aahid (a non-Muslim living under Muslim rule) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, although its fragrance may be detected from a distance of forty years.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2995

Anyone who kills non-muslim living in the land of the muslims will not smell the fragrance of pardise...

We are to deal justly and kindly with those who have done nothing to harm us: Allah says

"Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for your faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: For Allah loves those who are just" (60:8)

We are to deal justly and kindly with those that have not harmed us in any way...

So wars do happen, don't they? ... What are the rules of conflict for the muslim?

Narrated By 'Abdullah : During some of the Ghazawat of the Prophet a woman was found killed. Allah's Apostle disapproved the killing of women and children. (Saheeh Muslim Book 019, Hadith Number 4319).

Then Abu Bakr, the first caliph based on the prophetic teaching advised a military commander, Yazid, "I advise you ten things| Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly." Maliks Muwatta Book 021, Hadith Number 010.

You are not even allowed to kill animals except for food, nor cut trees

The present life is used to attain the after-life, therefore it is important that a muslim uses what he has been given in this life to attain the success of the hereafter. Islam is all about fulfilling the rights of everyone, Fulfilling the rights of Allah, Fulfilling the rights of the prophet, Fulfilling the rights of of your neighbour, fulfilling the rights of your employer, fulfilling the rights of your parents, fulfilling the rights of your children, fulfilling the rights of your wife, Fulfilling the rights of the animals.

Islam implies that you fulfill all the rights... Allah says in the Quran (roughly translated):

God commands you [people] to return things entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice: God’s instructions to you are excellent, for He hears and sees everything. (Surah Nisa:58)

"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do" (5:

The watch word for the muslim is Justice even if it is against himself...

A muslim that kills an innocent person will have to face justice with Allah. As regards terrorism, whether it is committed by a state that sends an army or drones to kill innocent people or a group of militants for any ideology. It is deeply frowned upon by Islam. Unfortunately, there are some muslims who have used their anger at the state of the muslims to commit acts that have no historical or scriptural basis in Islam.

Allah allows for Self defence when you are wronged but there are limits that must not be transgressed. Allah says (roughly translated):

There is no cause to act against anyone who defends himself after being wronged, but there is cause to act against those who oppress people and transgress
in the land against all justice– they will have an agonizing torment– (Surah 42: 41-42)


I hope this answers your question.

tbaba1234: I hope this answers your question.

yes it is clear

tbaba1234:

I am not sure about that, I am a pretty private person.

Make una go for interiew nau